Extension Project 2009
* * * JOB DONE - THANKS TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS * * *
the extensions to the plant room and changing rooms are now completed
Many of the original Committee met together again in 2008 to help raise funds for repairs and improvements to ensure the pool can continue to serve the community for the foreseeable future
SPLASHOUT II - WANSBROUGH POOL FUND RAISING COMMITTEE
Aim: to operate the successful Pool for the benefit of the School and Community
The Wansbrough Pool at Knights Templar school is an essential first learning and general use pool in the second town of West Somerset and a feeder pool for local Swimming Clubs. It has recently gained in importance as the main West Somerset pool, Aquasplash, has been demolished and another local teaching pool has also closed. Our little pool is now serving most of the District of West Somerset.
Knights Templar is a Church school for 180 pupils (5 to 9 years) in a deprived area of Somerset. A fund-raising Committee SPLASHOUT was formed in March 1990 and successfully raised funds for a substantial indoor pool available to the school and community groups. This insulated pool 12½ metres by 5 metres was opened in 1993 and apart from a short Christmas break, has been used at least 8 hours a day, every day, for the last 15 years. As a Church School, the pool is closed Sunday mornings.
The original project inspired the community and received magnificent support from industry, local authorities and the community to raise £130,000 to have the pool built as a turn-key operation. The Pool was initially managed by a sub-Committee of the existing School Users' Committee but more recently the Governors have taken over full responsibility for maintaining the pool.
EVIDENCE of USE: Income has been from School use, lettings to other local first schools, Community and Special Needs groups and ongoing fund-raising. The pool is very heavily used, covers its costs and has a waiting list. It is a vital first-learning facility for the community it serves, now expanded to cover much of West Somerset. Guided by the School Governors, the sub-Committee is an exempt Charity.
The pool has been an outstanding success, with a number of former swimmers subsequently competing at County, Regional and National level.
REASON FOR THE APPEAL
Bearing in mind the heavy use of the pool, many items of equipment have been replaced in the last 15 years. New boilers, showers, chemical doser and heat exchanger have very recently been installed with no call upon outside resources.
This heavy and continual use has resulted in some deterioration and a need to extend the plant room and improve other areas to cope with usage more than double that initially envisaged. Usage is in line with a number of Government guidances relating to Sport, Healthy Living, Fitness and Obesity of all ages. It is now the only community pool in West Somerset able to meet the Government mandatory standards requiring every child being able to swim.
THE PROJECT
Although fundamentally sound, after 17 years of heavy use, the substantial building now requires maintenance and extending and the conservatory needs repairs. Chalk mark shows the size of the extension.
MAINTENANCE: although still sound, there is concern over the condition of the outer roof where the vapour barrier has been punctured in several places and the insulation material is holding water. Localised repairs might be possible, however inspection has shown the deterioration to be widespread and it will be cost effective to replace the whole outer covering to comply with modern insulation standards. The internal structure is presently unaffected.
There has also been some deterioration in materials at ground level which work under very adverse conditions and which now need replacing. This will be done by introducing an impervious upstand of insulation blocks which will not deteriorate in the same manner.
EXTENSION: resulting from the greatly increased use and turnover compared to the original expectations, we built a full-width 2½ metre extension to extend the cramped changing-rooms and provide a much-needed external access and storage area for the plant room.
REFURBISHMENT of the CONSERVATORY: unlike the rest of the building, this was originally constructed down to a price. It has proved an invaluable area, though being less than ideal in many aspects. It is intended to rectify these deficiencies by redesigning and rebuilding as necessary.
Jim Butterworth
December 2008
* * * THANK YOU * * *